KARACHI, April 19: The Sindh High Court has directed the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) to restore within seven days the power supply to such units whose electricity was disconnected on the basis of under-utilisation.

The order was issued on a petition filed by town and industrial associations of the city, including SITE Association, North Karachi Industrial Estate, FB Area association of Trade and Industry, SITE Superhighway Association and Port Qasim Industrial Area Association who had challenged the disconnection of power supply to their member industrial units.

The power utility, after serving notices on industrial units under Section 20 of the Electricity Act, 1910, disconnected power supply on the basis of underutilization of power against the sanctioned load.

In a detailed order, Mr Justice Munib Akhter held that since KESC was in breach of the mandatory requirement of law, it follows that the exercise of disconnection carried was unlawful and improper.

The order goes on to direct the KESC not to discontinue and disconnect the electricity connections of industrial units who were enjoying supply of power on account of court orders or otherwise.

The Sindh High Court further restrained KESC from disconnecting the power supply except in accordance with law and under the Consumer Service Manual (CSM).

The court held that the stance taken by the KESC in its notices served to industrial units under Section 20 of the Electricity Act, 1910 that it had the right to disconnect power supply on the basis of underutilization was not correct and went to hold that if the sanctioned load is underutilized, it does not itself permit the power utility company to disconnect power supply.